It is always interesting to go back in time and read the actual quotes and sentiments of the people involved as events were happening. A few days after the 1986 anti-trust suit judgement between the NFL and USFL resulted in the $1 ($3) verdict, Sports Illustrated talked with many of the USFL personnel in an article. It includes quotes from Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, and Jim Kelly: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065134/1/index.htm

Of interest are Jim Kelly’s quotes about not wanting to play in Buffalo and how he wanted his top 3 receivers from the Houston Gamblers to join him in Buffalo if he had to play there. He even wanted Mouse Davis as offensive coordinator!

If you like collecting USFL merchandise and memorabilia then be sure to click the links below to find some fun items from those mentioned in this post.

What was not covered, however, was the fact that the Portland Breakers could have been entitled to Doug Flutie’s rights. Due to an oversight on the USFL’s part (depending to whom you listen), the Breakers had Flutie’s rights stemming from the 1983 Boston Breakers. Here is why:

The USFL constructed a “territorial” draft process whereby teams would have “protected” colleges from whom they could draft. It was designed that way to keep geographic interest in the franchise. Boston College, where Flutie went to school, was under the “territorial” protection of the 1983 Boston Breakers. When the team ultimately ended up in Portland in 1985, the colleges to whom the Breakers had territorial rights in the draft had not yet changed.

Even though a Northeast college would have no geographic impact on the Portland franchise, the Breakers believed that they still had exclusive rights to Doug Flutie. How this was resolved is not widely known, and there are conflicting stories about the resolution. If any of you have official documentation about the resolution then post a comment and/or send the information to the e-mail address you find on the contact page.